Artists Blog

6.50am, my phone rings, waking me from a restless few hours of tossing and turning (finally got to bed at 2.30am after thinking, thinking and more thinking…)

“Get here quick if you want to see a huge python with a big belly” Jeff told me.

Now if I’m going to jump outa bed, into the car, with my hair only getting a look from a brush, a big python is going to do it.

Only about a km away, I arrived at Jeff’s work, where one big slithery friend was making it’s way across the road.

See where it’s headed?

Spot the problem yet?

It tried for a while, but breakfast was just too big.

Once it reversed a bit, the gate was swung back to let it go on it’s way.

Can you see the next problem about to happen?

I think a lot of us suffer from the same issue…

We just don’t think we’re that fat….

even though we can’t seem to fit into anything ‘cos it’s such a tight squeeze…

It seemed a bit stumped, so curled up for a think.

All the while flickering that forked tongue.

We left him on his own to work out where he was headed, and not long afterwards, he was gone.

No one has seen Reg, the resident rooster. But I think we have a pretty good idea where he is.

So long Reg.

Reg and Scrub Turkey friend in happier days…

I’m so lucky to be living where I do. In our last home we had “delightful” children living behind us that hurled rocks into our pool. Surburbia at it’s most uninspiring.

Living here, I sometimes take the bush for granted, and forget that a whole other world exists beyond the wooden palings. This morning a tiny movement caught my eye. Can you see it?

Moving through the dappled sunlight two brand new babies moved with their mum and dad.

During the day these Bush Stone Curlews (or Thick Knees) are usually very, very   q-u-i-e-t.   At night it’s totally another matter. They are screaming, wailing banshees, with blood curdling cries of ear drum piercing proportions.

Those great golden eyes don’t miss much. Spot one of the chicks?

Just gorgeous! And they don’t throw rocks.

We’ve been invaded by birds. Lots and lots and LOTS of birds! Spring has sprung big time.

My first birds for Show and Tell are the ones that just made it (with 18 minutes to spare) into the preliminary judging for the upcoming Regional Exhibition. They may not make the final cut, but here’s hoping for a spot in my second exhibiton.

I’ll always have the Clowns in my backyard regardless.

The Butcher bird (also known as The Singing Assassin), has been singing his heart out to me, inviting me to swing. Take that however you wish!

This guy is a teenager, but there’s been an adult (fully black) hanging around as well.

Parent or potential partner?

The Pied Imperial Pigeons  (or Torres Strait Pigeon) have flown all the way back from New Guinea. They have been “Coo-Cooing” their heads off above our deck.

But the most delightful feathered tenants have been the Wee Willy Wagtails, chittering their crossness at me for daring to watch them build their nest.

Who needs a big house anyway?

I was thinking about what Elizabeth said in her last comment on my previous post. Is Mundane perhaps only a state of mind? Change the parameters of my day and maybe Mundane disappears.

I think this semester at Uni has thrown Mundane-ness at me.  I’ve been dreading some of the tasks set for my Effective Speaking subject (a required core subject and not one that I would have chosen freely), and this has flowed over into everday life. A public speaker I am not, and this subject is forcing me to put myself into some very uncomfortable situations, both in front of an audience and on paper. A good thing perhaps if I look at it from a “Stretching the Comfort Zone” point of view. Still loathsome though.

Watching a very shy, hardly seen, visitor tip-toeing with giant orange feet into my backyard made me rethink my “mundane” day. Very privileged is how I felt.

Assessing the doorway between The Wild and Civilisation. Camera lense fogged up straight away, although the humidity has been much more bearable today.

“Why is it called the Orange Footed Scrub Hen” Jeff asked me facetiously.

Up until a couple of months ago I had no idea what was making the manical raucous cackles at night. All night. Imagine a turkey being strangled whilst singing an aria, and all of it’s friends joining in with the chorus. That’s what these wild “chickens” do to while away the dark hours.

This bird is one of a pair that have decided that something good is going on in my backyard.

Old Cocky ain’t happy having to share.

Gotta go, I can see  both of them now coming in for one last look around before the Opera begins..

“Spring” in the tropics is just like Winter. 30 deg C the past few days. AirCon in winter - who would believe it?

I can barely keep up with life at the moment. Luckily I have backyard comedians to help me maintain a happy outlook.

Impaled?

Nah, just trickin!

I’m finding Uni is a lot tougher/stressful/not-as-easy this semester. If I only had a sponge for a brain!

Photoshop studies, and in particular the first assignment (on scanning) due yesterday, had me all afluster. I completed it on time, but the image I had in my mind was not what ended up on the screen.

We had to build a Triptych of three images. My theme was based on time, mortality, the cycle of life. All the scanned objects came from the garden (yes, including the deceased Mannikin), or my immediate environment. I don’t think my scanner appreciated the soil slopped all over it though!

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This is only Week 5 , lots more to get through….

Friday - painting class - continuing our adventures with “oil glazing”. A tiny dab of oil paint  is mixed with fast drying Liquol to produce a thin layer (a glaze) of paint. Many layers of glaze later you have a transparent sheen of paint that looks luminous. Well, that’s the theory anyway.

For many, including myself, it’s our first introduction to oil painting, and a whole new experience. Next week we go hard and thick with the oils with impasto techniques.

This afternoon there was a loud BANG on the kitchen window. The Man of the House had only cleaned the window recently and it had repercussions.

A teenage Chestnut Breasted Mannikin (or Bullfinch?) was not happy with his close encounter. A good excuse to have dirty windows!

(Don’t look at the oil paint under my fingernails).

He didn’t seem to want to fly anywhere, so I popped him in a tree out back. 20 minutes later he was right to join all his mates again.

Peaceful Dove trying to be inconspicuous.

Like all his friends.

Meanwhile, the Bromeliads and gingers are putting on a flamboyant display. Almost like Mardi Gras!

I’ve had such a busy week that I’ve only just sat down to read Wednesday’s paper (and the rest!) this evening. What a nice surprise to see one of my photos being used in the paper:

The original photo and story behind this OCD Sunbird and it’s pooping ways all over my car can be found by clicking here.

I’ve had a few emails asking for some “behind the scenes of the kingfisher painting. Everything I’ve learnt regarding this method has been taught to me by a wonderful bird artist, Paul Margocsy.

I’ve used Clayboard for this piece, but any illustration board (smooth or toothed), and even Matt board (for framing) is OK.

Step1 - After sketching onto my clayboard, I mask the birds and foliage. Using my airbrush, I lay down washes of background colour. I have the board tilted up at an angle, which is better for airbrushing, but not so good for wayward drips!

Airbrushing is really forgiving, I made a heap of mistakes here. The consequence is that the background gets darker and darker. I need to adjust the pressure to a lower setting so that it’s not like a rifle going off!

I use a finger or eraser to gently peel off the dried masking fluid. I’ve used a water soluable wash pencil for the sketch. I touched up some of the birds with the same pencil at this stage.

Time to block in rough areas of colour with a big brush. After this step, I go over and lay in the fine details with a tiny brush. Good eyes and a steady hand an advantage - I don’t have either! I wouldn’t call this method “over-the-top-difficult”, but more “methodical”. I find the feathers/foliage gets rather tedious after a while, but a quick walk or cuppa soon revives my momentum.

And the finished peice you saw 2 posts back. No 8 in using this method, not that I’m counting!

Did anyone sit through the whole Opening Ceremony last night? I admit I flagged after 12.30, but was able to catch the replay this morning. I think of all the artists involved in so many aspects, the costumes, the calligraphy, the lighting, the props, the digital art (stupendous!) and the list goes on. Just FABULOUS!

These Wood Swallows were hosting a very small party this afternoon. I’ve seen over 20 of them cuddling up close late in the evening.

It’s nice to have close friends.

No time to upload today’s painting photos - the Opening Ceremony with the painting-with-your-body calligraphy has me transfixed (the calligrapher in me is salivating all over the floor).

That crazy Sunbird is at it again. She is obsessed with singing, and now dancing with her reflection. Over coffee yesterday with our neighbour, he told us that she has ruined the rubber strips on his car windows, where she will sit for hours with her reflection as companion.

If she can also see herself in the wing mirror as well as the window, she goes into raptures.

Today she was dancing, which was something new.

She doesn’t seem to mind if you watch her either.

An OCD Sunbird for sure. Who leaves a trail of poop wherever she dances.

Another yellow guest is raking in the native bees on our front deck.

I try and save them, but they constantly hurl themselves into the sticky web. Every little white blob in the web was a hapless tiny native bee. How many bees can one Northern Jewelled Spider eat?

He is so shiny and stripey, just like an enamelled brooch sitting in the middle of a perfectly shaped web.

Underneath he wears polka dots.

I am not a fan of spiders, but there is something quite mesmerizing watching this one go about his day. He’s never in a hurry, ambling slowly over to the latest bee, injecting it with something horrid, then going back into the middle of the web for a snooze. He’s about the size of a 5 cent piece now, and will get to about 20c worth. If he lasts that long. He has precariously built his web right alongside some huge hairy monster who’s web is well over a metre wide. This little jewel may well be dinner for his neighbour some night soon…..

Made it by the skin of my teeth again! So much going on right now- including the exhibition Official Opening at Kickarts tonight. I can feel the butterflies already - I’ll be right once I have a glass of bubbles in my hand.

My submission this week to Illustration Friday was inspired by a couple of things that sit in my Naturalist’s Collection, and also by the memories of giving birth. “Enough already!” went hand in hand with all that pushing!

The nest is from our old hibiscus tree in Perth, sadly fallen to the ground when we did a hard prune back. The Emu egg is from a Royal Show exhibitor who runs an emu farm. Imagine the size of the basket used to collect the eggs on that farm!